Chapter 16 A Family Summons and…

It was slightly later that morning, as I was getting ready to make my way into work at the ministry that the phone rang, my phone ringing is quite an unusual occurrence, normally work will contact me by owl or floo, or occasionally email, so it almost came as a shock to hear the phone ring.

I picked the receiver up, wondering who could be calling me at this time in the morning, "Dudley, is that you?" said a familiar and tearful voice as soon as I picked up the receiver. "You need to come home immediately, your father was involved in a car accident this morning on his way to work, it doesn't look good."

"Ok, mum, calm down I'll be there as quickly as I can, I just need to call work to tell them the reason and I'll pop straight over."

Gabrielle was looking intensely at me and raised an eyebrow, "should I come as well?"

"I think it would be good, if you came, but I don't know how we're all going to get there, I can't side along with you and Henri. It's not safe to take us on the motorbike and I don't think in my present state of mind I could make a portkey." Elrond looked up at me as if to say something when St. John gave a trill from his perch at my ear. I looked at him in puzzlement. I saw an image of us all holding onto his tail feathers and vanishing in a flash of fire and appearing in the back garden of a generic muggle back garden. "Are you sure you can do this, and that you want to. You're only a few hours old yet?" the reply was a trill that sounded so confidant and almost indignant that I should question his abilities.

It appears that St. John will be taking us, we just need to grab hold of his tail feathers and he will use phoenix flame travel to get us there."

Elrond gave me a quick glance, "Dudley if you and Gabrielle want to make your way there, I will pack up a few things for young master Henri, and join you shortly, you may need to inform your mother about me, and I don't think she knows about elves."

"Thank you Elrond, I appreciate that. My mum knows something about house elves as she once saw Kreacher, but your appearance is a big change from what she saw that day, and I think some explanation will be needed."

Gabrielle picked up little Henri and held him tightly and looked at St. John who took wing off my shoulder and hovered between the two of us. Nervously I took hold of one of his tail feathers and Gabrielle did the same. I felt a slight warming and tingling sensation and the world went yellow with fringes of blue and then the sensations stopped and I looked around me. We were in the familiar back garden of number 4 Privet Drive and St. John gave a pleased chirp, took flight and vanished in another flash of fire. I gave Gabrielle a look and made my way to the back door and knocked.

After a couple of seconds, the familiar figure of my mother, Petunia Dursley came and opened the door. She looked puffy eyed and her face was wet from tears. "Oh, thank goodness you're here Dudley, hello Gabrielle, nice to see you too, although I wish it were better circumstances, please come in, I'll put the kettle on." She sniffed and wiped at the tears in her eyes."

"Mum, you go in the lounge with Gabby and Henri, I'll put the kettle on and join you in a moment." She nodded and gave me a grateful look, making her way into the lounge with Gabrielle following her carrying Henri. As I placed the tray on the coffee table with a pot of tea and three cups the phone rang, I picked it up before mum could reach it.

"Could I speak with Mrs. Petunia Dursley please?" said the voice on the other end of the line.

"I'm Dudley Dursley, her son, can I help you?"

"Sorry, Mr. Dursley, this is the Royal Surrey County Hospital, I believe you and your mother need to come in as soon as possible." I gave Gabrielle a look and she gave a nod of understanding.

"We'll be in as quickly as we can," I told the person on the other end of the phone and hung up.

Mum just looked at me, her face going paler, I'll go upstairs and get my coat!" a few seconds later I heard a shout from upstairs, "Dudley, there's a strange boy in the back garden, can you tell him to go away please!"

I looked at Gabrielle and shrugged, not knowing what mum was talking about, but went to the back door and looked in the garden, Elrond was there with some changes of clothing for young Henri and his carry cradle, but now one else, then I did a double take and looked again; I suppose from upstairs, Elrond could look like a strange boy. Although he had pointed ears, this was not obvious from a distance and the stuff he was carrying wasn't that visible as he was wearing the carry cradle like a back pack with everything else in it.

There was the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and mum came into the lounge, "who is that strange boy, Dudley, you seem to know him?"

"Err! Mum this is Elrond, he is part of the family. Do you remember the creature that Harry summoned here, the summer his godfather died? This is his grandson, he is a vassal to my house, and a friend."

Mum looked askance at me, "I remember something, a rather dirty creature with big ears and huge eyes, screaming that he didn't want to belong to the Potter brat or something, and you say this is his grandson? He looks nothing like him… and what do you mean vassal to your house, you've been reading too many of those mediaeval adventure stories I see."

Elrond turned to my mother and gave a polite bow, "pleased to make your acquaintance, Milady, I am Elrond, vassal to your son and like him a Lord of the Wizarding Court of Charlemagne, I am also the ambassador of my people to the Wizengamot, a position I was given by her majesty the queen herself when I swore my oaths to herself."

She turned to me, "is this true, Dudley, you are a Lord, and have sworn oaths of service to the crown, why didn't you tell me? Just think, my son a peer of the realm…"

"The only times, I've seen you since then, have been when dad has also been present, and bringing the fact that I'm a wizarding lord up in conversation, didn't seem like a good idea, considering his prejudices. I don't particularly know where I would rank in the nobility, probably somewhere around a baronet or something, not that I really care. I am the first lord of the Court of Charlemagne since Nicholas Flamel, I made my oaths before the queen a couple of days after Harry's birthday. Incidentally, that was also the date that my cousin, your nephew became Sir Harry Potter."

"Your cousin, a knight, good grief, if I only ever dared mention it to the neighbours after all the rubbish that your father and myself spouted out about him being some juvenile delinquent, and his parents being useless layabouts and drunks. Marge knows part of the story, but not all, but the locals still think he was a criminal in the making, they haven't mentioned him to me since he left; almost as if they were glad the bad influence in the area was gone. I'm sure, one day they'll ask me what prison he's in, or something of the sort. I've never had the courage to say I was wrong to them."

I looked to Elrond, "Elrond will you look after Henri, whilst we go to the hospital, we'll have to use muggle methods, but I don't think we'll be too long, a couple of hours at most, I'll telephone if there's any change to the plans."

"Of course, Dudley, I quite understand, young master Henri will be fine with me!"

I went to the phone and telephoned the local taxi firm for a car and was informed that one would be with us shortly. I hung up and passed on the news.

As the taxi pulled up, outside the hospital, I opened the door and made my way to the front desk of the Accident & Emergency department. "Hello, my name is Dudley Dursley, I was asked to come, and it's about my father, Vernon Dursley, admitted after a car accident earlier this morning."

"Of course, Mr Dursley, if you would like to make your way to room 2 at the opposite end of the waiting room, someone will be in to see you shortly."

I thanked her and with mum and Gabrielle made my way to the aforementioned room, finding it open with a comfortable looking three-seater sofa and two armchairs. Mum and Gabrielle took a seat on the sofa and I sat in one of the armchairs to wait. We'd only been seated a couple of minutes when there was a quiet knock on the door and a young doctor poked his head in the door, "Mrs Dursley, and Mr Dudley Dursley?" we nodded at this. He took a seat in the remaining armchair and took a deep breath, "I regret to inform you that Vernon Dursley succumbed to his injuries and passed away just after 10.00 this morning, under the circumstances, there is no need to conduct a post mortem, as the cause of death was from injuries suffered in the accident, and it is understood that the accident was caused by mechanical failure in the vehicle he was driving. I am so sorry to have to inform you of this, and you have my condolences, if there is anything we can do in this time of sadness, please do not hesitate to let us know."

I sat with mum and Gabrielle on the sofa, as she sobbed into Gabrielle's shoulder; feeling a sadness myself, but not actually able to bring myself to cry as openly as mum. I couldn't bring myself to cry about dad. I mean he was my dad, and I loved him, but at the same time there was a certain detachedness to my feelings, over the way he had treated me when he learned about my magical abilities. He'd never been the same with me after that, always looking almost fearfully at me as if expecting some dire magical consequences.

Eventually, mum managed to stop the tears from flowing quite so much and sat looking at her hands quietly on her lap, "Dudley, will you help with the arrangements and everything, I really don't think I'll be able to cope. I honestly don't know how I'm going to face being in the house on my own."

"Of course, mum, you shouldn't need to ask. I'm sure, Gabby wouldn't object if you came to stay with us for a while. You can be near family, and won't have to stay in the empty house with your memories."

"Of course, your mother must stay with us, I will not hear of her, being on her own at such a time. We will pay a short visit to the house, to pick up a few things and then she can come to ours for as long as she needs." I left mum and Gabby in the room, mumbling something about the death certificate and left to speak with a doctor.

Several minutes later, I returned; "mum, do you want to see Dad, the hospital can allow a small party to go and say their goodbyes, if you want."

"Sorry, Dudley, but I don't think I could face it, I would rather remember your father as I saw him this morning. If you want to go and see him, I'll just wait here."

In my own way I was rather glad at her answer, the thought of actually seeing the body of my father didn't appeal to me. I like her would rather remember him the way I last saw him. "No; mum, we'll catch a taxi back to Privet Drive as soon as you're ready and collect some things and then you can come with us."

I had informed the neighbours as to the circumstances whilst mum was packing a small case to bring with her, a slight confundus on the neighbours as I left insured that they would remember us arriving earlier and leaving this afternoon by taxi. I didn't want anybody to realise how Gabby and I had turned up and vanished mysteriously, the neighbours round here all lived on the latest gossip, and my mother had been just the same in the past.

Mum was sat in the lounge with Gabby, and Elrond was there attending to little Henri. "Dudley, how will you be getting us all to yours? I seem to remember those friends of Harry's blowing a hole in the chimney and travelling by fire. I also know there's something called a portkey from when I got one from the Ministry for your honeymoon, but from what I understand about such things, it doesn't sound a very comfortable way to travel…"

"No, mum, I'm going to introduce you to St. John, my new familiar, he will be responsible for getting us all to Grimmauld Place."

"A familiar, do you mean like Harry's owl, I don't see how that will be of any use in getting us all to London?"

"Not quite, mum. St. John is a phoenix."

"A phoenix! Such creatures really exist? Who would have given it credit? I've learnt so much about your new world and I'm reminded constantly that there's so much I still don't know."

I called St. John to the air and with a flash of fire, my phoenix appeared in the lounge with us. Mum gave a gasp of surprise, I suppose at this. St. John looked at my mother and landed on her shoulder and started singing. The song was surprisingly comforting, I felt the loss of my father, but at the same time, I felt some sort of hope for the future and the loss wasn't quite so raw anymore. Mum looked at St. John and there was a slight smile in her eyes as if she was feeling the same thing. St. John gave a satisfied chirp and took off from my mothers shoulder and hovered in front of us. "Mum, grab hold of one of his tail feathers and don't let go." She looked at me as Gabrielle and I did the same."

"I'll meet you back at the house in a few minutes," Elrond stated and with a flash of fire we were gone from Surrey and back home at number 11 Grimmauld Place.

Mum released St. John's tail as Gabrielle and myself did, "that was fascinating, Dudley, how long have you had a phoenix? She turned to St. John who had settled on the back of one of the armchairs; "thank you, St. john, I am grateful for your help." St. John gave a small tired sounding chirp and promptly fell asleep.

"He's only a few hours old, I was a bit concerned when he offered this morning to get us all to yours, but he was insistent he could do it. He was a gift from the goblins, something to do with a prophecy concerning Henri's birth and uniting the magical races of Britain, I've not actually heard the prophecy, just been told that it exists."

"What's so special about your son's birth, I know you told us to expect a granddaughter first, but your father was so pleased you had a grandson?"

"Veela, almost always have girls, at least for the first two children, if there is a third there is a one in a thousand possibility of it being a boy; there's a one in a thousand possibility of there being a fourth child and a one in ten thousand possibility of that being a boy. That being said, if a veela gives birth to a boy, it's usually their last child. Dudley is the first wizard to father a son as a first born in known history, and the midwife who assisted with the birth informed me that I should have no difficulty in conceiving again, even after giving birth to a son."

"Well, I do hope you have more children, if only for the fact that I want lots of grandchildren to spoil, not like we spoilt Dudley, but I'm sure you understand what I mean!"

Elrond appeared at this point, and promptly bowed to my mother again, "milady, if you wish I will take your stuff to your room!"

"What is this, with calling me milady?"

"You are the mother of my liege lord, Dudley and Gabrielle have informed me, that I am to call them by their proper names, but I must refer to yourself by a title unless directed otherwise by you or Dudley. I will not presume I have any privilege to do so."

Mum glanced to me, "very formal young man you have in your service here," she turned back to face Elrond. "Elrond, I give you permission to call me Petunia, I do not require any title, Dudley is the one with the title and if he feels you should call him by name, then it is my wish that you do the same with me.

A little later after a light meal, mum took her leave of Gabrielle and I and retired to her room for the night, with the knowledge that if she needed us, we would be just along the hall. Gabrielle and I sat together in the sofa, she just sitting there with my head resting on her shoulder as I came to terms with the fact that I no longer had a father, when there was a chime from the fireplace. I looked at the fire to see Harry's head in the floo, "What was the emergency you had this morning, nothing bad I hope?"

"I took a deep breath, "you'd better come through, Ginny as well if she's able, I have some news for you." Harry nodded at this and his head disappeared from the flames only for him and Ginny to step through into our lounge a few seconds later.

Harry looked at St. John perched on the back of the armchair, "bloody hell, Dudley is that a phoenix, where on earth did you get that? I've only ever seen one and that was Dumbledore's, which died at his funeral, that was the usual red and yellow, but I had no idea they came in different colours."

"This is St. John, he was a gift from the goblins, something they were keeping for the father of a male firstborn veela, I presume it will be of assistance to me in this madcap mission they say I have of uniting all the magical races. Really wish I'd ignored Justin in bloody Tinworth, I swear my life would be easier. Then again, I'd never have met Gabby and have such a wonderful son; listen to me I sound just like Kingsley." I gave a deep sigh and got down to the real reason I'd asked them both over, "mum phoned this morning and asked me to come over, dad had been involved in a car accident on his way to work, the upshot of which is that dad died as a result of his injuries. Mum is staying with us for the foreseeable future, she just went up to her room a few minutes ago."

"I'm sorry, Dudley. I admit I didn't actually like your father that much, but I never wished him any ill will. Are you alright, you don't need anything?"

"I think I'm alright, I know what you mean about dad. He was my father, and I loved him but I can't honestly say I liked him that much. His attitude to Gabrielle and myself, and his whole phobia/hatred of magic. He never encountered actual magic until I floated him round the ceiling that day, but he had an almost irrational fear of it. I could understand how mum could have deep feelings regarding magic, it was the cause ultimately of her losing her sister, first to Hogwarts and then Voldemort, but to dad, magic was just a word until that day, but he hated it with a passion."

"Fear is an irrational thing, Dudley."

"I know, but still…"

"Changing the subject slightly, how are you going to inform your Aunt Marge, a phone call is too impersonal for this sort of thing? After all, your dad was her little brother."

"I hadn't given it that much thought today, I suppose I'll have to take the bike and go tomorrow, although I'm not that much up for driving given the circumstances."

"I think, you should apparate to a couple of miles from her home and take a taxi, to there, then bring her back with you, it will help her to deal with the grief if she's with another woman, and will be of comfort to your mother as well."

"I hadn't thought about that, it would help mum, and Aunt Marge has been a lot better in her attitude to myself and you since dad's heart attack. I could get Elrond to make up the room next to mum's, with a little time I could fix up an adjoining ensuite for the two rooms. But what about the magical aspects of my life, considering dad's attitudes, do you really want to introduce another possible source of contention into the mix."

"I don't think, she'll be that bad, she seemed to get on well with Molly Weasley at your wedding, your dad's fear of everything magical first came from having me dumped on his doorstep and being told my parents had been killed by magic; there's no reason for her to be afraid of magic, and you are allowed to tell her, even under the old Statute of Secrecy, she is family after all…"

"Never thought of it that way, but she is family as you say. Ok! Will you tell Kingsley in the morning that I'm taking the rest of the week off, for personal reasons, and the reason? I'll fix up the ensuite in the morning and then follow your instructions as to getting her here later in the afternoon."

I arrived mid-afternoon at the front doors of the home where Aunt Marge was now living and made my way in. I do hope this goes according to plan, although she had changed over the last couple of years, I didn't want to have to deal with any recriminations from her, about in being my fault, leaving home, or getting a different type of job to what dad expected. Well here goes.

"I'm here to see Marge Dursley," I told the receptionist at the desk.

"Might I enquire as to who you are, security you understand, we have to be certain."

"I'm her nephew, Dudley!"

"Just one moment please, she picked up a phone and obviously informed my aunt that I was down in reception to see her. "She'll be down in a couple of minutes, once she's confirmed who you are, there will be no problem." I nodded in acceptance at this and waited in reception.

A few minutes later, a lift pinged in the back of the lobby and Aunt Marge came out, and looked across at me, "Dudley, this is a pleasant surprise, what are you doing here? Why didn't you telephone ahead to say you were coming?" she nodded at the receptionist who gave a nod in reply and I went to join Aunt Marge by the lift.

"Could we go up to your room, I need to speak privately with you and I think you'll need to be seated when I do!"

"Very well, Dudley, you're being a bit mysterious, but we'll do that, follow me."

A few minutes later, in her small room, we were both seated in armchairs, and she looked at me, "what is it you wanted to tell me? Not getting a divorce from that lovely wife of yours are you, or is it another pregnancy, bit early if it is, but I understand the impatience of youth."

I took a deep breath, "no, I only wish it was another pregnancy, or something like that. I'm sorry to say dad was involved in a fatal car accident yesterday morning. I waited until today to come and tell you, because I felt you needed to be told in person and not over the phone."

She looked at me in shock and reached into her handbag to grab a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes with it, I could see that although she wasn't crying aloud, there were plenty of tears in her eyes. "How is your mother coping with this, surely she's not alone in the house, with just memories of your father?"

"No, for the moment, mum is staying at ours, and I wanted to ask if you would like to come for a few days as well, you could help mum with her grieving and her company would help you as well."

"Well, I would like to Dudley, but unfortunately unless you've got a bedroom on the ground floor, I don't thimk I could, I can't climb stairs, these days, you see, and I wouldn't want to put you out by sleeping on the couch or anything."

"Not a problem, we've got a room on the first floor for you, but getting up the stairs won't be a problem." I silently cursed myself for a moment for not remembering the stair lift at Privet Drive. I think my aunt was going to have an earlier introduction to magic than I had anticipated, but what the hell… if she could see the positive benefits of magic, first hand, it might help to alleviate her fears if she was going to have any.

"Very well Dudley, I will come with you. I think being with you mother will help us both and I can see my great nephew for the first time as well. Would you go down to reception and inform them of our plans and give them your phone number so they have some contact details for me. How are we getting to yours?"

"I came part of the way by taxi, but we'll be going all the way back that way, I don't think you'd understand just yet about the way I came here."

"Oh, I see, man of mystery are you? Well, can't say that's entirely unexpected, you still haven't come completely clean about all the details of your work. I seem to remember you were some sort of social worker and what was it, special ambassador or something; although you never made it clear who you were ambassador to."

"You'll learn a bit more in the next few days, I promise, but first, I think we should get you to mine, this isn't the place to talk about this sort of thing."

"Blimey, you make it sound so mysterious, will I have to sign the Official Secrets Act or something?" She laughed at her own joke. I shook my head and gave a slight grin to her and went down to speak to reception again to inform them of what was happening.

I had just finished, when the lift pinged and Aunt Marge emerged from the lift pulling a large suitcase behind her on wheels. "I'm so glad I got this for when I went to your wedding, never thought I'd be using it again, but needs must. Have they called a taxi yet?"

"Yes, Miss Dursley, it will be here in about five minutes, might I say how sorry I am to hear about your loss, we'll keep everything here for you. Take as long as you need with your family.

Aunt Marge nodded at this and took a seat to wait for the taxi."

A couple of hours later, we pulled up outside 11 Grimmauld Place and I paid the taxi and I took aunt Marge's suitcase and pulled it to the front door. Aunt Marge followed behind me as I opened the door and entered the house. Mum and Gabrielle were sitting with a cup of tea and making a fuss of Henri as we stepped into the lounge, mum looked up and saw aunt Marge and her face brightened a little.

Aunt Marge looked at St. John on the perch in the corner of the room, that I had conjured for him earlier today and her face dropped in shock, "Dudley, please tell me that is not a phoenix…"

A/N Cliff hanger, I know, but I wanted to end at this point, you will learn how Marge recognises a phoenix in the next chapter, and no she's not a squib, as this would have made Dudley one as well, albeit a second generation one and as I've previously stated, he's 100% muggle. Until next time, which I hope won't be as long in coming. Please read and review.